On Wednesday, January 28, the Seoul Central District Court delivered a first-instance verdict on the former South Korean First Lady, Kim Geon-hee, in a corruption and bribery case. The court found her guilty of receiving luxury gifts related to solicitations, constituting bribery, and sentenced her to 1 year and 8 months in prison, with a confiscation of approximately 12.815 million South Korean won (about $8,988).
The court also acquitted her of charges related to stock price manipulation and violations of the Political Fund Law. This ruling by the court has made Kim Geon-hee and her husband Yoon Suk-yeol the first former presidential couple in South Korean history to be simultaneously imprisoned due to criminal convictions.
The verdict stated that Kim Geon-hee had received requests from the Unified Church and accepted luxury items such as designer bags and diamond necklaces, which constituted illicit exchanges of benefits.
During the verdict reading, the court emphasized that “the First Lady, by maintaining a close relationship with the president, can exert significant influence and is a symbolic figure representing the country along with the president,” but the defendant had used this position to “seek personal gain.”
Despite the historical significance of the verdict, the sentencing this time was much lower than the 15-year prison term and 2 billion won fine originally recommended by the independent prosecution team.
The court also ruled that Kim Geon-hee was acquitted of charges related to the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation case and illegal acceptance of poll services due to insufficient evidence.
In response, Kim Geon-hee’s defense team expressed gratitude for the verdict but considered the 20-month sentence for bribery “relatively high” and stated that they would further discuss whether to appeal.
Since August 2025, Kim Geon-hee has been in custody due to concerns about the risk of evidence tampering. During her husband Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency, Kim Geon-hee was embroiled in several scandals and often became the target of political attacks from the opposition.
Regarding the martial law incident in December 2024, the investigation by independent prosecutor Cho Eun-suk found no evidence implicating Kim Geon-hee and dispelled rumors that Yoon Suk-yeol had taken extreme measures to “protect his wife from investigation.”
Yoon Suk-yeol has already been sentenced to 5 years in prison for the martial law case and is now facing another trial on charges of rebellion, with a potential sentence of death or life imprisonment, scheduled for verdict in three weeks.